Belt buckle



y 6, 1958 w. E. WILLIAMS 2,833,016

BELT BUCKLE Filed June 10, 1957 I HWWGEEI IIIIIII IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent O BELT BUCKLE p William E. Williams, Ojai, Calif. Application June 10,1957, Serial No. 664,806

3 Claims. (c1. 24-,201

This invention relates generally to belt buckles and more particularly to an improved safety belt buckle for use in airplanes, automobiles, and the like.

Many conventional types of safety belt buckles in use today combine the functions of permitting the length of the belt to be adjusted and securing the belt in any adjusted position. To this end, the buckles generally include a friction bearing surface secured to'one clasp member about which a portion of the belt is pressed by a co-operating clasp member. Belts constructed in this manner are not only subject to slippage but in addition to release the buckle, the free end of the belt must travel through. one of the clasp member portions .a considerable distance, particularly in cases where the belt is cinched relatively tightly. As a result, the free. end of the belt protruding from the buckleis liable to whip and possibly become jammed in an attempt to quickly release the belt.

Bearing the above in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved belt buckle construction for safety belts which effects a positive fastening between the-free ends of .the belt when in coupled relationship and yet which maybe very rapidlly' released to separate the belt ends in an emergency" 1 More particularly, it is an object to provide a, belt buckle of the above type in which the possibility of binding of the belt in the buckle mechanism is :wholly avoided and in which once the belt is released, the ends of the belt immediatelytseparate with a minimum of whipping.

Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of the present invention are attained-by providing a pair of clasp members respectively secured to the two ends of a safety belt to be fastened togetherl A suitable means for prior adjustment of the desired belt length may be provided elsewhere in the ,belt or the particular. belt structure may be tailored to the person who will be using it. Each of the clasp members include body portions having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom. A transverse rod extends through the fingers of one of the clasp members and a suitable groove is provided running transversely through the fingers of the other clasp member in a manner to receive the rod upon .inter-digitation of the fingers so that the members are fastened together. By this arrangement and by proper dimensioning of the fingers, a single manual flip of one of the clasp members serves to disengage the rod member from the groove whereby the two clasps are separated from each other and the belt Wholly released; By employing a plurality of inter-digitating fingers on the respective clasps, any binding of the rod within the groove is minimized without sacrifice of strength in the structure.

A better understanding of preferred embodiments of the invention will be had by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the belt buckle just prior to fastening of the same;

Figure 2 is a top view of the two clasp members com- 2,833,016 Patented May 6, 1958 Figure 1 illustrating the 'memice prising the belt buckle of bers secured together;

Figure 3 is a view of a slightly modified embodiment of the belt buckle similar to the view of Figure 1; and,

Figure4 is another top view of the belt buckle of Figure 3 illustrating the two clasp members secured together. a

Referring first to Figure l, the belt buckleis shown as comprising apair of clasp members 10 and 11 secured by suitable pins 12 and 13 to the free ends 14 and 15 of a safety belt. As shown, the first clasp member 10 includes a plurality of fingers 16, 17, 18 and 19 extending in substantially spaced parallel relationship from the body portion of the clasp member. The ends vof each of these fingers are beveled to provide a taper as indicated at 20 for the finger 16. A single rod 21 extends transversely through the various fingers in a position intermediate the free, ends of the fingers and the body portion of the clasp member 10.

The second clasp member 11 similarly includes a body portion having a plurality of fingers 22, 23, and 24 extending therefrom in substantially spaced parallel relation- -ship. Rather than tapered end surfaces on the fingers of the clasp 11, there are instead provided relatively blunt ends as at 25, the purpose for which Will become clearer as the description proceeds. As shown in Figure 1, there is provided a transverse groove through the various fingers 22, 23 and 24, as indicated at 26 for the finger 22. This groove is disposed intermediate the free ends of the fingers and thebody portion of the clasp member 11 and positioned to receive the engaging rod 21 of the clasp member 10 when the various fingers are inter-digitated.

Referring to Figure 2, this engagement of the rod 21 with the various grooves such as the groove 26 is clearly illustrated. Thus, upon inter-digitation the finger 22 fits between the fingers 16 and 17, the finger 23 fits between the fingers 17 and 18, and the finger 24 fits between the fingers 18 and 19, and each groove portion will receive the corresponding rod portion between the various fingers. In the inter-digitated position illustrated in Figure 2 the clasp members 10 and 11 are securely locked together and the tapered ends 20 on the fingers of the clasp 3 member 10 smoothly fit into the contouring of the clasp "-tion 27.

member, 11 to provide a neat appearing front surface. The blunt ends 25 for the fingers of the clasp member 11, however,.extend beyond the curved contouring of the clasp member 10resulting in a small overlapping por- I n- Figure 2 eachof the clasp member body portions is shown as hollowed out as indicated by the dotted lines 23 and 29 to accommodate the ends of the belts 14 and 15 for securement to the pins 12 and 13.

The operation of the belt buckle will be evident from the above description. When it is desired to secure the two members 10 and 11 together, the fingers 22, 23 and 24 are inter-digitated with the fingers 16, 17, 18 and 19 and the angles therebetween adjusted such that the rod 21 is received within the groove 26 as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. Any tension exerted by the belt ends 14 and 15 tend to bring the respective fingers more into alignment inasmuch as the pins 12 and 13 are positioned above the engaging portions of the rod 21 and the sides of the groove. In other words, tension on the pins 12 and 13 will tend to urge the rod 21 towards alignment with two pins 12 and 13. There is thus no possibility of the belt becoming accidentally unfastened. On the other hand, when it is desired to quickly release the belt, the wearer simply grasps the overlapping ends of the fingers 22, 23 or 24 as at 27 and pulls outwardly as indicated by the arrow. The fingers will thus pivot about the rod 21 until the open portion of the groove is in alignment with the tension forces created by the belt ends of which point the two clasps will immediately separate. By employing a plurality of inter-digitating fingers as described, sufficient widthislprovided to inhibit any tendency for the rod to bind in the groove.

In the belt buckle illustrated iirFigures 1 and 2,: the opening ofthe transverse grooves inthe fingers 22-, 23 and 24 faces inwardly. In accordance with the invention,

it is also possible to have the. groove o en outwardly.-

For example, referring to Figure 3, there is illustrated a modified belt buckle comprising. a pair of clasp members 30 and 31 secured by suitable pins 32 and 33 to the ends of a safety belt 34 and 35. The clasp *30'includes a ph rality of fingers 36, 37, 38 and 39 extendingifrom the body portion thereof, and in this embodiment, each of these fingers terminates in a blunt endxsurface 40. As in the case of the embodiment of Figure 1, however, these fingers include a transverse rod 41 passing therethrou'gh Figure 4 illustrates theclasp members 30 and 31 in inter-digitated position wherein it will be noted that portions of the rod 41between the fingers 36,- 37, 38 and 39 fit within corresponding groove portions in the fingers 42, 43, and 44. The beveled surface 45 for these latter mentioned fingers when in assembled position as illustrated in Figure 4, blendin with the contour of the body portion of the clasp 30. The extreme ends 40 of the other fingers, however, extend over and beyond the body portion of the clasp member 31 to provide anov'erlapping portion 47. Asin the case ofthe clasp members and 11 of Figure 1, the clasp members of Figure 4 are also provided with hollowed out portions 48 and 49 for accommodating the belt ends 34 and35 and the securem'ent 40 In releasing the belt buckle of Figure 4, the wearer sim thereof to the pins 32 and 33.

ply pulls the fingers 36, 37, 38 and 39 outwardly as indicated by the arrow by' grasping theroverlapping portion 47. This action lifts the engaging rod 41 from the groove 46 and thus separates the clasps.

In the belt buckle of both Figures 1 and 3, the engagement between the rod and groove is positive and there is no possibility of any slipping.- The actual'physical action in releasing the belt buckle is almost anatural one in an emergency in that the only effort required is simply the natural tendency to pull the'buckles apart by grasping of the convenient overlapping portions of the finger ends.

While only two embodiments of the belt buckle have been described, it will be evident that other slight modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, screws may be employed instead of the pins 12, 13 or 32, 33 so that thebelt clasps may be easily removed from the belt ends. -Accordingly, the belt buckle is not to be thought ofas limited only to the two embodiments shown for illustrative purposes.

1. A quick release safety belt buckle comprising, in combination: first and second clasp members respectively secured to the two ends of a belt to be fastened together,

said first clasp member including a first body portion having a first plurality of fingers extending therefrom in substantially parallel spaced relationship; a rod passing transversely through said first fingers intermediate the free ends of said first fingers and said first body portion; said second clasp member including a second body portion having a second plurality of fingers extending therefrom in substantially parallel spaced relationship, each of said second fingers having a transverse groove therein intermediate the free ends of said second fingers and said second body portion whereby upon inter-digitating said first fingers withsaidsecondfingers, said transverse rod is received in' said transverse groove.

'= 2. A belt buckle according to claim 1, in which said firs't plurality of fingers have smoothly tapered ends such that upon" inter-dig'ita'tion or said first and second fingers, said tapered ends'pr ovide a smoothly contoured surface with said second body portion; said second plurality of fingers having blunt ends and dimensioned to overlap said first body portion upon interdigitation whereby said blunt endsmaybe readily grasped to release said clasp memhers. I V

3. A belt buckle according to claim 1, in which said second plurality of fingers are provided with smoothly tapered ends such that upon ifiter-digitation of said first and second fingers, said ends provide a smoothly contoured surface with said first body'portion; said first plurality of fingers having blunt ends and dimensioned to overlap said second body portion upon inter-digitation whereby said blunt ends may be readily grasped torelease said clasp members. I

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 339,234 Tarney Apr. 6, 1886 2,346,887 Winkler Apr. l 8 1944 

